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Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always

Adventure ride along the Sihl

An adventure following the path of the Sihl complete with farm roads, gravel paths, and singletrack

Gravel road to a farmhouse

A little bit of everything: chunky gravel, forest service roads, singletrack, oblivious baby goats, tunnels, farm roads, fast descents (some too fast on too chunky gravel!), river views, hike-a-bike, and great weather.

Näfels - Mühlehorn

A point to point walk highlighted by an old bridge

Looking down the valley

A point-to-point between small villages highlighted by an old stone bridge.

Chriesiwanderung (Walchwil to Zug)

Walk across the eastern shore of Lake Zug connects the centuries-old cherry and chestnut cultivations of Zug and Walchwil

Sweeping views to Lake Zug

We were looking for a simple walk in the unpredictable April weather and decided on a walk above the Lake Zug and through woods.

Flumserberg

A pristine winter landscape, stunning views, and easy walking on groomed trails

Some blue skies and views to the mountains

After a long week at work, I didn’t have the energy for a full day of cross country skiing. Looking for something to do outside but a bit less taxing, I read about the winterwanderweg opportuntiies at Flumersberg, the local resort for all those living in Zürich. This seemed an ideal compromise.

Big Skidder Hill

Lower elevation adventure ride on the Olympic Peninsula

Quiet forest service roads beyond the gate

In January the higher elevation forest service roads are covered in snow & ice and inaccessible, safely, by bike. Wanting to ride some forest service roads, I opted for one of the lower elevation areas which is muddy and cold but generally snow free. The area around Big Skidder Hill is closed to vehicles but open to walker and bikes so it’s a wonderful place to ride in the winter.

Rachel Lake

A wet, muddy, cold, and colorful hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Fall colors on the shores of Rachel Lake

The vast majority of my hiking takes place in, and around, Olympic National Park because it doesn’t require a ferry ride. Wanting to see some fall colors, I reviewed some of the popular hikes in the I90 corridor on the WTA site and Rachel Lake was a frequent addition and the photos suggested wonderful fall scenery would be on display.

Marin County All-Road

Two routes, two separate riding partners, and one great day of all-road riding in beautiful Marin County

Which way is up?

I had long wanted to ride in Marin, birthplace of mountain biking and constant location of adventures in my Strava feed.

Royal Basin

Fall colors, blue tarns, yellow meadow, fiery reds, grey mountains; an ideal fall hike

Creek in the basin showcasing fall colors

With the changing fall colors, I wanted to return to Royal Basin to take in the scene. Last time we ran as much as we hiked but this time I went alone and spent a significant amount of time photographing the colors and the abundant small waterfalls and rushing creeks.

Tubal Cain

A walk back into history among an old mine and the remains of a January 1952 plane crash

Iron Mountain in the distance on the way to Marmot Pass

The road to the trailhead, FS 2870, received a much needed road grading (in fact, the grader was still operating and let us pass) so the road is in wonderful condition – any vehicle can make it easily.

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